


Too Good to be True

by them_bonez



Series: Maul/Artist!Reader [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Agoraphobia, Angst, Cheesy, Cute, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Heartwarming, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other, POV Second Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/them_bonez/pseuds/them_bonez
Summary: Reader(gender-neutral artist) had met Maul right before phantom menace events and he seemingly just disappeared. They attempt to move on with their life and forget about him. 12 years later and a new Mand'alor has requested their art be shown in an art gallery on Mandalore.
Relationships: Darth Maul/Reader
Series: Maul/Artist!Reader [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075109
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Too Good to be True

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off a prompt from @aberionart on tumblr and also several headcanons I wrote based off Maul having a meetcute with reader right before phantom menace. (check my tumblr @zabrak-show for links) The home planet for reader is not specified so use your imagination and pick what you want.

A canvas with black and deep red paint splattered in a messy yet purposeful way before you. You splashed some more paint on it.

“Awful.” You pushed the painting off the easel and it crashed to the floor, littered with dozens of other discarded canvases. You walked off to the other room to prepare yourself some tea. Well, things hadn’t been so cheery since your secret lover had stopped paying you visits. You missed his touch and his warmth, the late-night philosophical conversations, the way he crinkled his nose when he got angry, his musky spicy scent, the way he’d look at your art as if it was truly the most magnificent piece of work he’d ever seen, the way he kissed, the way he tasted. All of it. And yet, nothing, no explanation, no note, no nothing. For all you knew he was dead. The thought filled you with such dread you could barely stand to explore it any further. No, best to just make some tea and wait for the bad feelings to blow away.

“ _Yes blow away_ ,” you think as you blow on your piping hot cup of tea watching the steam swirl away in a delicate yet chaotic pattern.

You’d felt so stuck without him. It was foolish and pathetic. Why couldn’t you just get over him? It seemed to you, you may never know what happened and it left you feeling hopeless and so utterly alone. None of your friends had even met this mysterious Zabrak he truly had been a secret. They could never understand your love and how profoundly sad his sudden disappearance made you.

Your art had taken on a much darker tone these days. You no longer craved your usual plein-air painting style finding the perfect sunset, or other landscapes. No, now you were holed up in your small apartment most of the days keeping yourself in the dark, relishing in the sadness. Using up all the darkest of your paints, and red. Everything had to have red in it.

The sadness had become like a blanket for you. It had been so long since you felt the warmth of the sun on your skin and had allowed yourself to be happy. You clung to your cold wet blanket of sadness instead, it was awful, but it was something and something was better than nothing you’d tell yourself. A knock at the door interrupted your melancholy thoughts.

You opened the door to see your best friend, a purple Twi’lek A’leah greet you with a smile.

“Hey honey bunches, haven’t seen you out in a while so just checking in,” A’leah pushed her way past you into your apartment and looked around a bit, “Oh dear...you’re worse than I realized.”

“Gee thanks, maybe if I’d known you were stopping by I could’ve cleaned up a bit,” you were annoyed now, she comes barging in to offend you?!

“I’m not trying to be mean, I really do want to help you. I’ll tell you what, you go take a shower and I’ll help you clean this place up a bit and we can go for a walk to the market. Your favorite shop is having a sale on art supplies!”

You crossed your hands over your chest ready to argue, but to hell with it.

“Fine.” you turn on your heel to the refresher. In all honesty, it had been a few days since you showered, and you could use some new paints and canvases.

The walk to the market was short, but the wind was strong and you secretly wondered if this was worth it as your hat almost flew off your head again. The sheer amount of people all milling about was intensifying your stress on the situation. You looked to A’leah and she put her arm around you.

“It’s ok. I know how hard it can be to be outside again and around all these people,” she walked in step with you as she comforted you, “Do you want to talk about it. About him?”

“Not much to say. I just wish I knew what happened and where he was. I…” you choked back a bit, “I really miss him. It’s so stupid. I’m sorry.”

“It’s really not stupid at all, dear. You fell in love. Do you know how lucky that is?! Not everyone gets to experience that feeling.”

“Is it worth it though, to feel like this now?”

“I think that it is, and I think you will fall in love again and feel that it is worth it. Right now it's just way too hard for you to see it that way. But you’ll get there. Hang in there, and I’m always here when you need to vent.”

You managed out a weak smile of acknowledgment. The two of you walked around the market and caught up a bit. You finally loosened up and found yourself smiling and laughing with your friend. It was a well-needed break from your wallowing and maybe there was a bit of light at the end of your tunnel.

*~*~*~*~*12 years later*~*~*~*~*

You woke up early to pack your bags for Mandalore. There was apparently a new Mand’alor who had specifically requested your art be hung in his new art gallery. The honor was unheard of, you could barely believe it. In fact, you really didn’t. It must be too good to be true. Oh sure, you had sold plenty of paintings over the years and created quite a name for yourself on your home planet, but Mandalore? You’d never even been there. Weren’t they all fierce warriors? In any case, it was a job, a really good job if it was true, so you had to at least hope for the best.

A’leah had stayed over the night before to help you pack and celebrate, but really it had mostly been celebrating.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” she reached out to you with a cup of caf in each hand. You accepted one of the drinks and responded,

“No, not this time. You have to watch over the little ones anyhow.” A’leah now had two small children at home, they were with their father now, but you knew they’d be too sad to be without their mother for as long as you may be on Mandalore. You hadn’t yet booked a return passage, after all.

“Alright ma sareen,” She said as she helped you finish packing. She assisted you to the transport ship, carrying some of your luggage and paintings. Several passengers eyed you both suspiciously and you had a moment of regret not asking A’leah to come with you. She hugged you goodbye and spoke into your ear,

“You’ll be just fine and please do call if you need anything. Anything at all.”

“Thanks, A’leah. I will,” you smiled and turned away to board the vessel and take your seat. This was it. It could be the defining trip of your art career.

The trip was long and boring and you found it hard to sleep in the company of so many strangers. It was such a relief once the ship descended on Mandalore. It looked smokey and grey all over. Not really what you had anticipated. You soon learned that the cities were all domed with hospitable conditions inside. The ship landed in Sundari and you readied yourself to find the art gallery. Oh kriff, you hadn’t quite thought about how you were going to get all these paintings to the gallery on your own. You didn’t give yourself a moment to look confused or worried, lest someone would try to take advantage. Instead, before you could even think what to do you heard your name being called by a strong deep voice. You looked around to find it and saw a very large yellow Zabrak headed towards you. He made eye contact with you and called out your name again.

“Oh, yes that’s me. I suppose the Mand’alor sent you?” you inquired the stranger.

“Yes, my name is Savage. Maul asked me to come help you. He would have come himself…” he kept talking but you couldn't hear anything he said after that.

“Ehh..Ehh...excuse me… Maul?” you asked. It felt like you might lose consciousness, you must have misheard him. Or it was another Maul. It must be another Maul. Perhaps that was a common name for Mandalorians.

“Yes Maul. I’m his brother. Are you ok?” he lightly gripped your arm as you started to fall forward a bit.

“Oh yes, I am so sorry. It must be from all the traveling. It’s just that I knew someone named Maul a long time ago so it really threw me off. Silly old fling from way back haha.” you tried to laugh it off, “wait did you say you were his brother?” How could a Zabrak be brothers with a human Mandalorian. What is going on here? Now your head was really starting to hurt.

“Yes, Maul is my brother. And I wouldn’t tell him you thought of him as a fling. He wouldn’t want me telling you this either but he’s,” Savage looked around before holding his hand to his mouth and crouching down to your ear, “madly in love with you.”

\----------

You woke up in an opulent bedroom of the likes you had never seen before let alone slept in. Your head hurt and you had to really think for a moment until you could make sense of where you were. A metal clanking noise, like droid feet walking, made it’s way towards the room you were in and then you heard a light knocking at the door. You heard your name being called in a familiar voice, but it didn’t sound like a droid.

“Yes, come in,” you stated and looked curiously at the door from the bed. A crimson Zabrak walked in, it was, it couldn’t be, it was _your_ crimson Zabrak. After all these years, he was somehow, taller? And showing more skin. But it was him; the same tattoos, the same crown of horns, the same mesmerizing amber eyes, the same smell you noted as he made his way closer to you, but somehow more of a metallic hint to him. You looked down at his legs as he walked, they were..? were they? Metal cybernetic legs? Maker, what had happened to him? 

There was no way of hiding your look of shock. You were frozen in time as your long lost love ascended upon you.

“My love, it has been so long and I have ached for you every day of our separation,” he said now directly in front of you. You hated that your first instinct was to slap him. How dare he leave you for so long. And with no explanation. You could see the genuine sadness in his eyes so you held back and stayed frozen on the bed. You didn’t even realize at first that tears had been streaming down your face, you were in such a state of shock. Maul gently wiped them away with a gloved hand and you immediately melted into the touch. Oh how you had missed this.

“I missed you more than words can describe. I was.. I was inconsolable Maul. I mean I eventually had to move on with my life, but I always thought about you and missed you. I don’t understand. Why did you leave me?” the tears were now streaming out of your face uncontrollably and couldn’t be stopped.

“Yes, we have much to discuss and catch up on. I assure you it was never my intention to leave you alone for so long. I promise to explain everything, but first, I would be honored if you would be my date to tonight’s gala.” he held his hand out to you and you hesitated for a moment before placing your hand in his.

“I’m all puffy and gross, I can’t be seen in public like this…”

“Nonsense. Nothing a bath and some stylists can’t fix,” he led you to the fresher which was again larger and more lavish than anything you’d experienced before. It felt like you were still asleep and dreaming everything was so fancy and Maul was actually here. You held onto his arm, well actually you gripped him hard. He didn’t seem to mind but you looked down and eventually saw how hard you were grasping onto him.

“Oh..” you pulled away, “I’m so sorry. I guess I’m just a little nervous about this all.”

“Nervous? Yes, well I have to admit I am as well.”

“You? What do you have to be nervous about? You’re King now. I mean look at all this?” you motioned toward everything in the fresher.

“Yes, well it has not been an easy road here,” he looked down now as he spoke and you followed his gaze to his legs.

“Maul, what...happened?” you reached out to touch one of his metal legs but he recoiled too fast and made a deep growling noise.

“Kenobi” he practically whispered the name, but with such fire behind it you’d swear he had yelled. You reached out to touch his arm and slowly inched your way in to fully embrace him. He pulled you in tight and you wondered if there was a better feeling in all of the galaxy.

“I’m so sorry my love, for whatever happened. And for not being there for you,” you spoke into him, barely able to move your face from his warm embrace and wanting to just live in this moment, in this feeling for eternity. Drinking in his scent, his warm touch flowing through your body, his twin hearts setting a rhythm you could dream your life away to, it was perfect. Absolutely too good to be true.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said pulling away softly, “I..I have so much to explain to you. But first, let’s get you ready for the gala tonight.”

As it turned out, Maul was not lying about the stylists. After your luxurious bath, several stylists came to your aid and unhesitatingly started pruning you. Plucking hair there, trimming hair here, a little concealer for that, oh my look at your hangnails. and oh dear, what is your style, a suit, a ball gown, armor, or perhaps something more leisurely? 

“Somewhere in between?”

Maul came to accompany you down to the gala wearing a black tux. Maker was he handsome. You felt faint just looking at him and he appeared a bit breathless himself after giving you the once over. You’d really never looked this good in your entire life you’d figured. I mean you’d never had professional stylists get you ready before that was certain. You made your way down to the event arm in arm with Maul unsure of what to say. I mean there was so much you wanted to ask and tell him about. Where to start? It would all have to wait after this event. What was this event anyway?

“My love, what is this gala for? I guess I forgot to ask in all the excitement.”

You were both now standing in front of a set of oversized doors. Mandalorian guards stood at the entrance ready to open the doors for you both.

“What else could it be for, but you and your art,” he said as the Mandalorians opened the doors to the ballroom. You walked in together and there was so much going on inside no one seemed to notice your entrance at first.

“But I...I usually always set up my own art...and I don’t even remember how we….” you spun around the room packed with Mandalorians and many others. Everyone dressed so nice and a band had set up playing the classics. Your art was displayed so beautifully and clusters of people surrounded each work talking about it as they looked on with smiles on their faces. This really must be a dream. Maybe you had died on the transport ship on the way here and this was heaven. Maul looked to you and tucked a finger under your chin,

“Are you happy here, with me?”

“Well, I yes, Maul, this is maybe the happiest day of my life, but I still…” he cut you off with a passionate kiss on the lips.

“We’ll speak of it all later. I just want to know you’re happy.”

“Yes I’m happy,” you smile at him and go in for another kiss.

“I see you are in better spirits,” a deep voice interrupted your kiss. You look back and see the same yellow Zabrak who had met you when you first got here. 

“Oh, yes, I am feeling better, thank you….” oh kriff you had forgotten his name.

“Savage,” he finished for you, reaching out to shake your hand with a smile across his rugged face, “I wouldn’t expect you to remember much. You were pretty out of it when you landed.”

“Yes, it was all pretty shocking,” you laughed. As large and intimidating as his brother was, you felt oddly comforted by his presence. You leaned back into Maul as he wrapped his hands around your middle.

“Your art looks fantastic. The guests are all very impressed and many want to hire you as their personal artist.” Savage went on to say. You supposed your mouth must be on the ground at this point, but no matter, Maul had already snapped back about how you weren’t for sale or some such.

“Well anyway, let’s all just enjoy the party?” Savage suggested.

“Yes I suppose I should enjoy, MY party,” you sneered as you looked back at Maul and he gave you his devilish smile you’d grown to love all those years ago.

Walking around a party where your art was the center of attention, wasn’t necessarily new. You’d had art shows before. Usually, it was with a few other artists, so being the only artist felt a bit new, but wasn’t totally foreign. Being the only artist walking around the party with a literal King attached to your arm, well that, that was unprecedented. Eventually, the party started to wind down, as did your energy level for talking to new people. Only so many times you could answer the same questions about what inspired you, who were your greatest influences, how long have you been painting, and on and on and on. You were exhausted.

“I hate to sound ungrateful…” you began

“You are tired, it’s ok,” Maul caressed your face and you felt your eyelids grow heavy, “Let’s retire for the evening.” Maul held his arm out and you looped yours in and made your way back to that giant magical bedroom of his. The guards opened the bedroom doors for you both and you felt like you could collapse before even reaching the bed. You held yourself together enough to take off your fancy clothes and jewelry and looked on as Maul started to take off his suit.

“So just how much of you is metal now?”

**Author's Note:**

> I have many ideas to continue this story and hope to do so. Please let me know your thoughts if you have any and thank you so much for reading. xo


End file.
